PRESS RELEASE

New Plymouth: 15th June EMBARGOED UNTIL 11am

Taranaki launches Love NZ public place recycling campaign

The Glass Packaging Forum (the Forum) today hosted the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Dr Nick Smith, Mayor of New Plymouth, Harry Duynhoven, businesses, officials from local and central government and community groups at the launch of the Love NZ public place recycling programme in New Plymouth.

Whilst funding for the project from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund was announced in October by the Minister for the Environment, support from councils, industry and the service sector means that recycling facilities are now being put in 26 regions nationwide.

John Webber, General Manager of the Forum said the Taranki plays an important part in the project as a key tourist area and during RWC 2011 will host to three matches including the first ever Rugby match between Russia and USA. The region will also host Teams from Ireland, USA, Namibia, Russia and Wales. Over 18,000 international visitors are expected to visit the wider region during RWC 2011:

“Taranaki has been a leader in event recycling, with WOMAD long regarded as setting the benchmark for event recycling best practice. Recently, New Plymouth has shown through its use of recycling bins at major events including the ITM series in 2010, Super 15 matches, and concerts that if recycling bins are in place and easily accessible people will use them. Funding from this project has enabled the installation of 7 permanent recycling bins at venues around the city.”

“At events such as the More FM Winery Tour, where the Forum sponsored recycling at the Sentry Hill Winery and at the events managed by the council over 75% of bottles and cans are recycled. However away from specific events it’s much more difficult to influence behaviour and so the $1 million awareness and education campaign we have launched has a simple message; a Love NZ bin is “What recycling goes in when you’re out!”

”We have also launched a Love NZ video which will play during the sports promotion in stadia around the country. This shows New Zealanders enjoying their way of life in our beautiful countryside and asks people to recycle as a tangible way we can all show that we love our country.”
“We have set an ambitious national target this year to collect from public places and events an additional 9,000 tonnes of glass, plastic and cans. Based on a per capita basis, New Plymouth’s share is the equivalent of recycling around 733,000 beer bottles, 4.5 million plastic bottles and around 1 million cans”

Mr Webber also welcomed special guests, former students from Fitzroy School who were the winners of a completion run in 2008 by the Forum to encourage students to recycle:

“The boys won the completion with their recycling lyrics and recorded the rap in the studio with New Zealand music icon Che FU. It is good to see “The Storm” get together today for a special appearance in support of public place recycling. The Love NZ campaign will capture the minds of all New Zealanders - young and old - so that recycling in public places becomes just as routine as recycling at home”

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